PESHAWAR: A police official was killed and 17 other including 11 personnel of police and bomb disposal squad were injured in two consecutive remote controlled bomb blasts in Mathra area of Peshawar today.
Police and Edhi sources said that first blast occurred in Aslam Derai on Pajgi road when police mobile deputed for polio security was targeted by unknown persons with a remote control device. The first blast left one person dead and another injured. As the bomb disposal squad, media DCNGs and rescue staff arrived the site another remote control device went off with big bang which resulted injuring of 16 others persons including 11 personnel of Police, bomb disposal squad, a driver of Edhi ambulance and a driver of Aaj TV.
Two consecutive blasts caused massive fear and halted the rescue operation as the Edhi ambulances and Rescue 1122 squad vehicle also damaged in the blast. Two drivers identified as Sardar Ali of Edhi Ambulance and Shehzad of Aaj TV were also injured as a result of the incident.
The injured and killed police personnel were rushed to Lady Reading Hospital. The killed police official was identified as Iftikhar, son of Muhammad Younis, resident of Faqir Kalay.
The injured personnel were identified Asad Zia son of Sher Bahadar, Asim Akbar son of Fazli Akbar, Aurangzeb son of Mura Gul, Basit Pervez son of Zian Khan, Fazl Ghani son of Sultan Muhammad, Gohar Khan son of Ibrahim, Gul Dad son of Akram Shah, Gul Sher son of Sher Baz, Hidayatullah son of Habibur Rahman, Ibrahim son of Shah Jehan, Imran Ali son of Masil Khan, Inamul Haq son of Nazirullah, Irafanullah son of Sarbiland, Jehangir Khan son of Yaqoob, Roohullah son of Mohammad Shabir, Sabir Khan, son of Juma Khan, Sardar Ali Nor Jamal, Shahzad son of Muhammad Sadiq and Sher Afzal son of Khan Afazl.
According to the bomb disposal squad around four kilogram explosive materials were used in the attack. The target of the blast was police BDU unit and police patrolling party.
SSP Abbas Majeed Marwat also confirmed that the target of the blast was police mobile as well as bomb disposal squad. He said four to five kilogram explosives were used in both the attacks.
Later on the IGP visited Lady Reading hospital Peshawar where he inquired after the health of the injured police officials and civilian who got injured in the Mathra IED's lasts. The IGP straight went to the beds of each and every injured and inquired after their health and the treatment so for provided to them. The IGP directed the doctors present on the occasion to take special care and ensure provision of best medical treatment to them in time.
While talking to the media on the occasion the IGP said that the operations against terrorists will continue unabated added that it was a collective war and we all have to fight against the terrorists. The IGP further added that very soon a scheme will be introduced under which the public will share information with the high ups of CTD and other concerned police officer about the miscreants and their activities.
The IGP said that the name of the information provider will be kept secret and will be generously awarded. To another question the IGP said that the crime ratio of the last year was the lowest as compared to the previous five years and during the current year 30 percent decrease in crime had been witnessed so far. He vowed that the war against terrorists will continue till the elimination of the last terrorist.
Meanwhile, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and KP Governor Eng. Iqbal Zafar Jhagra strongly condemned IED bomb blasts at Mathra area of Peshawar and expressed deep shock and sorrow over the loss of precious innocent lives.
They expressed heartfelt sympathies with the members of the bereaved families and injured and termed the bomb blast as a cowardly act of terror. They added such terrorist attacks could not deter the national resolve to eliminate the wave of militancy and menace of terrorism.
They said those who play with the innocent lives deserve no leniency and will be brought to the court of justice at any cost. They said that Pakistani nation stands united with the military in the war against terrorism, which will be rooted out with the force of unity.